The present invention relates in general to security methods and systems, and more particularly to methods and systems for generating and utilizing a unique data signature for authenticating a unique article.
Throughout modern life, each person authors, creates, uses, earns, and may even be legally required to carry, a variety of unique articles. A unique article, as used herein, shall mean one or more of the following, but is not limited to, any singular, original, particular, lone, sole, and/or genuine item, instrument or document having a surface, which may include a substrate, to which data, intelligence, facts, expressions, works of authorship, or other information may be fixed. Fixed, as used herein, shall mean one or more of the following, but is not limited to, attached, imprinted, adhered, carved, painted, penned, etched, mounted, inserted, deposited, scratched, sculpted, or otherwise imaged, arranged, placed, molded, or positioned.
In many instances, the need arises to conveniently, rapidly, and credibly verify the authenticity of a unique article under consideration. To determine if the particular unique article is authentic, it is often necessary to determine whether the party claiming ownership of the article is in rightful possession, and that the article is in fact unique. For instance, assume that a party claiming to be the owner of a unique work of art, such as, a painting or sculpture, for example, and a prospective purchaser of same enter into a sales agreement. A diligent purchaser will attempt to verify the authenticity of the work of art, as well as, the rightful possession of the selling party.
Unfortunately, many unique articles, such as original paintings, sculptures, antiques, artifacts, etc. are often copied, duplicated or reproduced, either manually or with the assistance of a conventional processing system based copying or image reproduction device. Further, registration of unique articles, coupled with the subsequent issuance of certificates of ownership, verification certificates, deeds, title papers, and the like are ineffective, as these documents are easily forged, counterfeited, simulated, etc. Thus, the issuance of certificates of ownership and other similar methods of authentication are brittle, meaning that once the certificate of ownership, verification certificate, deed, title paper, or the like is circumvented, the limited scope of protection previously afforded is gone.
In accordance with the principles of the present invention methods and systems are provided for creating, and subsequently verifying, the authenticity of a unique article. Preferably, this is accomplished through the utilization of a data set representative of a unique identification number. The unique identification number is preferably fixed to a substantially unforgeable document. The unique identification number is also preferably encrypted in accordance with conventional cryptography techniques.
One method for authenticating a unique article in accordance with the principles of the present invention concerns initially receiving a data set which includes at least one data subset, wherein a first data subset is representative of a unique identification number fixed to a surface of a substantially unforgeable document. The input data set is then encrypted to generate a unique data signature, preferably utilizing a public-private key cryptography process. The unique data signature is then fixed to the unique article and/or a verification certificate, to thereby authenticate the unique article.
A method for authenticating an original work of authorship in accordance with the principles of the present invention concerns receiving both a first and a second data set; encrypting the first data set, and preferably at least a portion of the second data set, to generate a unique data signature; and fixing the unique data signature to a surface of the original work of authorship and/or a verification certificate. The first data set is preferably representative of a unique identification number, or serial number, of a currency note, and the second data set preferably includes at least one textual data subset. Preferably, the encryption process utilizes public-private key cryptography to generate the unique data signature.
One system for authenticating a unique article in accordance with the principles of the present invention concerns a processing system including both a receiving means and a processing means. The receiving means operates to receive an input data, set including at least one data subset, wherein a first data subset represents a unique identification number fixed to a substantially unforgeable document. The processing means generates a unique data signature, preferably by encrypting at least a portion of the input data set to generate the unique data signature. The encryption processes preferably includes the utilization of public-private key cryptography.
One embodiment for using and/or distributing the present invention is as software stored to a storage medium. The software includes a plurality of computer instructions for controlling at least one processing unit for generating a unique data signature for authenticating a unique article in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The storage mediums utilized may include, but are not limited to, magnetic, optical, and semiconductor chip. Alternate preferred embodiments of the present invention may also be implemented in firmware or hardware, to name two other examples.